Most food processing equipment that blends foods in a container by means of a rotating blade includes a cover for the container. Such covers must be securely attached to the container during the mixing of the foods, and yet, at the same time, be removable without requiring undo force. Some prior art covers are made of a flexible material and include a slot which receives a lip of the container thereby holding the cover on the container. In some of these covers, a tab extends from the cover and is lifted to release the cover from the container. However, after multiple flexures, this release system of the prior art tends to breakdown such that the tab becomes overflexed resulting in the inability of the cover to latch onto the container.
An additional problem arises when the equipment is being used to mix large volumes of hot liquids, such as soups or the like. Normally such liquids are dispensed from the container by lifting the container by its handle and pouring the liquid out through a spout. However, if the equipment includes a very large container, for example, of more than one gallon in volume, as might be used in institutions such as hospitals or the like, dispensing of the heavy hot liquid can be problematic. For example, such might require the use of two hands, one lifting the handle and the other gripping the container under the spout. But such not only exposes that hand to the temperature of the hot liquid in the container but also exposes that hand to the possibility of hot drippings from the spout.
Moreover, to blend these large volumes of liquids requires a large motor which rotates the mixing blade. These motors generate a great deal of heat and must be cooled usually by drawing cooling air into the motor housing and expelling that air through outlet ports. However, inasmuch as the processor is often being used in an environment with liquids close by, it is important to make certain that no liquids are drawn into the motor housing. For example, if the motor housing has just been cleaned, extreme care must be taken to assure that it is dry so that no liquids will be drawn into the motor housing.
The need exists, therefore, for food processing equipment which is not plagued with these problems of the prior art.